Some of London’s most ambitious engineering and architectural projects have been named among the UK’s most inspirational developments at this year’s Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Awards.
Fourteen projects from across the country were recognised at the ceremony held at the Hilton Park Lane, celebrating excellence in real estate, construction, and infrastructure.
Among the London winners was the Thames Tideway Tunnel, the 17-mile “super sewer” stretching beneath the River Thames from Barnes to the Isle of Dogs. The vast infrastructure scheme, designed to prevent sewage pollution in the river, received the Infrastructure Award, described by RICS judges as “the UK’s single greatest intervention to tackle sewage pollution.” Construction on the project began in 2015 and is now entering its final commissioning phase.
The striking 8 Bishopsgate Tower, a 51-storey skyscraper at Norton Folgate overlooking Shoreditch and Spitalfields, was highly commended as a Commercial Development Project of the Year. Completed in 2023, the tower includes offices, shops, and a public viewing gallery on the 50th floor. Judges praised the building’s contemporary design for blending seamlessly with the City of London’s historical context, marking it as a defining feature of the city’s eastern skyline.
The Natural History Museum’s five-acre gardens in Kensington were recognised with the Environmental Impact Award for their transformation into a vibrant, biologically diverse green space. The redesigned gardens, which include outdoor learning areas and research zones, were praised for advancing sustainability and biodiversity in urban design. The project also won the Silver Prize for Europe in 2023 for its sustainable construction approach.
The Ebury Estate regeneration project near Victoria Station was honoured for its contribution to meeting Westminster’s housing needs. Featuring well-proportioned homes with high ceilings, natural light, and sustainable landscaping, the scheme was hailed as a “benchmark for environmentally conscious regeneration.”
Other notable recognitions included Transport for London’s Station Enhancements Team, which received the Outstanding Contribution Award, and London surveyor Julian Lyon, who earned the Lifetime Achievement Award following a 42-year career in the profession.
Commenting on this year’s winners, RICS national chair Kerry Gibbs said:
“We visited each project and met the passionate teams behind them. These developments play an integral role in their communities and demonstrate the positive impact of innovation in the built environment.”
